Enjoying the Race!

It’s October, already! I am thrilled to host this dishcloth KAL, with a really special fall design! And a really special Designer, Betty Winn. Betty is a super talented knitter, writer and friend. She has worked really hard on this cloth, it does have a picture to guess, but it differs from our usual cloths in that it uses cables to show the design. If you’ve never knit cables, don’t worry, they are deceptively simple, and we’ll provide ALL the instructions, you can do this!!

How it works –

Come back to THIS post every day through October, and I’ll add additional rows to the pattern, listing the new rows under the date they are posted. Don’t worry if you miss a day, I will just add the rows, never remove them. Most days I’ll add 2 rows, but I may throw in a few more, you never know!

Use any worsted weight cotton yarn you like, (but a solid color will show up the design better). NOTE- this cloth has a few more stitches than usual to accommodate the design, if you don’t like a such a big cloth, drop down a needle size, to make your cloth smaller, as a bonus the cables will ‘pop’ even more.

Knit so that you create a ‘firm’ fabric, to really show off the relief stitches. For most of you, this will be a size 7 needle.

Just for fun, if/when you have a guess as to the design leave a comment, the FIRST person to guess correctly will win a prize from The Quarter Stitch in Wilmington, NC!

HERE WE GO! Good Luck!

Cast On 46 stitches.

Row 1: *(K1, P1), repeat from * across row, placing a marker after the first 4 sts and before the last 4 sts.

I selected the prize while at The Quarter Stitch today! The winner will be revealed this week!

Row 39: K1, P1, K1, P1, k9, p5, C5B, C5F, p5, k9, K1, P1, K1, P1.

Row 40: P1, K1, P1, K1, p8, k6, p10, k6, p8, P1, K1, P1, K1.

Row 41: K1, P1, K1, P1, k8, p6, k10, p6, K8, K1, P1, K1, P1.

Row 42: P1, K1, P1, K1, p7, k7, p10, k7, p7, P1, K1, P1, K1.

Row 43: K1, P1, K1, P1, k7, p7, k10, p7, k7, K1, P1, K1, P1.

Row 44: P1, K1, P1, K1, p7, k7, p10, k7, p7, P1, K1, P1, K1.

Row 45: K1, P1, K1, P1, K7, p7, C5B. C5F, p7, k7, K1, P1, K1, P1.

Row 46: P1, K1, P1, K1, p7, k7, p2, k6, p2, k7, p7, P1, K1, P1, K1.

Row 47, K1, P1, K1 P1, k7, p7, RT, p6, LT, p7, k7, K1 ,P1, K1, P1.

Row 48: P1, K1, P1, K1, p8, k22, p8, P1, K1, P1, K1.

Row 49: K1, P1, K1, P1, k9, p20, k9, K1, P1, K1, P1.

Row 50: P1, K1, P1, K1, p9, k20. P9, P1, K1, P1, K1.

Row 51: K1, P1, K1, P1, k10, p18, k10, K1, P1, K1, P1.

Row 52: P1, K1, P1, K1, p10, k18. P10, P1, K1, P1, K1.

Row 53: K1, P1, K1, P1, k11, p16, k11, K1, P1, K1, P1.

Row 54: P1, K1, P1, K1, p11, k16, p11, P1, K1, P1, K1.

Row 55: K1, P1, K1, P1, k12, p14, k12, K1, P1, K1, P1.

Row 56: P1, K1, P1, K1, p12, k14, p12, P1, K1, P1, K1.

October 29 – Hopefully by now you have a fat little owl, pearched on a stump, in front of a full moon, sitting in a pumpkin patch! And the winner is……Diana, who back on October 6th, guessed an owl in a pumpkin patch! We couldn’t believe she guessed it so quickly! And her prize? A hand-dyed skein of Theodora’s Pearls sock yarn in color Halloween. Congratulations Diana! And a huge THANK YOU to Betty, for all your hard work designing this adorable dishcloth!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed the KAL, and that you’ll join us November 1 for our Christmas Cloth. We will be going back to the old style of knits and purls, no fussy stitches! And the design is amazing, definatly different, I think it’s my favorite one yet! Pick a bright solid Christmas color, and invite a friend to join along! We have a few more days to go in October, so without further ado…

Row 57: K1, P1, K1, P1, k13, p12, k13, K1, P1, K1, P1.

Row 58: *P1, K1, repeat from * across the row.

October 30

Row 59: *K1, P1, repeat from * across the row.

Row 60: *P1, K1, repeat from * across the row.

Row 61: *K1, P1, repeat from * across the row.

Bind Off in pattern.

Enjoy, and hope to see you November 1st!

—————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Key-

LHN: Left hand needle

RHN: Right hand needle

RL: Insert tip of RHN into the 4th stitch below the 2nd stitch on the LHN(from front to back) . K the st and bring up a long loop. K the 1st st on the LHN, pass the long loop over the st just knitted.

BS (bud stitch):: Knit into front, back, front of next st, turn, purl 3 sts, turn, knit 3 sts tog. NOTE: as you knit the next couple of rows, poke the bud to the right side of the knitting and tightly knit or purl the stitches around it… Show it who‘s the boss !

LL: Insert tip of RHN into the same st in which you made the “long loop” stitch. As before, K the st and bring up a long loop, knit the 1st st on the LHN, pass the loop over the st, if needed, push the bud to the front of the knitting.

C5B: Slip the next 3 sts onto cable needle and hold to back, knit the next two sts then the 3 sts off the cable needle.

C5F:Slip the next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold in front, knit the next 3 sts, then the 2 sts off the cable needle.

is it just me?? or is anybody else having problems on the rows for Oct. 5th ..in the Bud Stitch we are knitting into the front and back of a stitch (making a stitch) and then Knitting 3 together……..losing 2 each time!!! On the following row we are supposed to knit 38 stitches in the middle……..and there are only 33!!! We have lost 5!!! Or am I doing something wrong????

In the Bud stitch, you knit into the front, back, then front of the stitch again. Making 3 stitches out of the 1. It sounds like you just knit front and back, which would leave you 1 stitch short each time. Hope this helps!

Thanks for your help Claire, i will give it another go. Where was my mind?? I was forgetting the last ‘knit in front’ so of course I was missing stitches. I called myself to have re-read the pattern several times and still missed it!! Thanks again for the help. I will now redo the rows for today!! Then I shall be ready for tomorrow!! Kindest regards, and keep up all the good work XX

Diana, i am with you, I think this will turn out really pretty, once we get a bit of additional help. No we dont need cable needles. I have figured out how to do the “bud’ stitch but end up LOSING 5 stitches!! I have even cast on stitches onto different needles with different yarn and done the same pattern rows (the ones for Oct. 5th) and STILL end up losing 5 stitches!! just cant figure out what I am doing wrong. But this Knit Along is a fun way to do something like this.

Hi, I hope you are all having the same problem, and I hope it is that at the beginning of the bud stitch you knit into the front, back and front of the same stitch, making 3stitches out of 1, not just 2. Let me know if you are still having trouble, don’t give up!

Okay, here’s where I was going wrong. In the LL I wasn’t reading the “Knit 1st stitch on LHN” after pulling up the loop and confused myself in the counting. Each Bud Stitch ends up with 3 stitches on needle. By the time I finished the row I had the proper number of stitches.

That was great! I was a little nervous to do the weird new stitches. But I thought -hey, it’s only one row. So I just followed the directions, didn’t think too hard, and did the one row. And now I have 5 nobbies – a skill I’ve never done before. How fun!

Ok….I’m a tad confused….not understanding the first row….doesn’t help Im a tad dyslexic…lol…could you explain….again do I go into the rows below the second stitch in on LhN?….help to have a visual…. Bud stitch on utube was very helpful…
Thanks for your help!:)

However (correct me if I am wrong):
Here we are knitting into a stitch 4 rows beneath the 2nd stitch on the LHN; pulling the loop through, without dropping any stitches; followed by knitting the 1st stitch on the LHN, then passing the ‘long’ loop over that stitch and off the RHN.

Ok…Amy….I got the first two stitches….but the brain isn’t getting the last stitch..
Lol! Plus I did a row and ended up with 56 sts…obviously haven’t got it right….
So do I go into the same st I went into in the RL st? So the two long sts end up coming from same hole….making a v shape?

Exactly right Diane. The two “V” stitches will make a pair of leaves framing the bud in the middle. You can make the leaves poke out some later on so don’t worry if yours don’t take charge yet. You guys are blowing me away. Reading how you are helping each other is a REALLY nice way to spend an evening. And… take heart, this is probably the hardest stitch of the design to do. The rest is going to be like walking down a country path on a cool fall evening with your best bud and a basket of knitting to pass the time.

A couple of thoughts for any who are having a hard time keeping the rows straight…. if you can, copy and paste the rows into to a word document. That way, you will be able to see what your last row number is and go from there. Plus, you will have the completed pattern to keep when the last post hits. Or, multiply the current date by 2 and that will give you a hint of the row…. today is the 7th, so Claire posted rows 13 & 14. If you keep track of the days Claire posts more than two rows, you can just add them to your multiplied total.

Ok….question….I keep ending up with 56 sts…which is not correct…when I knit the st on LHN…..and pull loop over…..do I drop the knitted st off as well? I know I’m adding two sts…need to get rid of two….Im sorry to ask so many questions….just never done this st before….lol!!….:)

Diane,
In the ‘Bud Stitch’ part, after you purl three stitches, are you knitting three st. together? If not, that is where you are gaining your stitches. You should be, purling 3st, then knitting three st. together AS ONE. Thus reducing back down to the original amount. Have another go and see what happens. Dont give up, It looks so nice when it is done.

It is not too bad when you get the hang of it……..PLEASE dont give up……..just take it one step at a time. I had a couple of hic-ups too. But it is worth persevering. Now take a deep breath and just one row at a time. ATTA GIRL…….you CAN do it!!!

Knitting is coming along great!!! Still cant make up my mind what it is going to be…..BUT no rows to knit today!!! Can only think that an emergency has befallen our Claire……i am hoping and praying that nothing too serious. Please God let everything/everyone be alright!!!

Row’s are up, no emergency, Thankfully, I just got carried away on other projects and forgot! First time in 3 months, it’s embarrassing, and I’m sorry! Can I blame Mr.Fix-it? He didn’t remember either!

No need to be sorry…….just as long as everyone is alright!!!! I guess we all just look forward to seeing our next lines to be done. I KNOW I do, and I am on the other side of the pond!!! hehehe…….YES, lets blame Mr. Fix-it!!! hehehe poor soul !!!

Yup……that would be the BIG pond!!! And I really DO look forward to getting my two lines every morning to see what will be next. While not a REALLY experienced knitter, I find that learning from others is so much fun. And this has been a wonderful experience.

Thanks for all the encouraging comments to be able to read first thing in the morning. And to Claire for hosting this Knit-Along, and to Betty for designing such fab things to knit. It was definately one that I will be keeping in my pattern file. Now on to This months…….where did I put that Christmas red???